Meet Me in the Stairwell
by Licorice Penny
Summary: Arthur has a choice, be expelled from school or attend Righteous Path's gay-to-straight summer program. He expects it'll be easy, just keep his head down and say the right things. It all falls to pieces when he meets Merlin Emrys, the most inspiring, infuriating person he's ever met. Arthur x Merlin. Please review!
1. Arrival

**A/N: Well, this is my first Merlin/Arthur fic. I've had the idea running through my head for awhile. Please review, starving noob writers feed off of them! **

* * *

**Meet Me in the Stairwell**

**Chapter One: Arrival**

"_Anyone who expects a person to change something as private and personal as who they hold in their arms at night needs to change their own judgmental attitude." - The God Box, Alex Sanchez_

* * *

Daegal hooked his fingers into the waistband of Arthur's trousers and yanked him forward, causing the young Pendragon to smirk.

"I like this new forceful side." Arthur murmured, moving forward and watching with vague amusement as Daegal took tentative steps back. Daegal's back pressed flat against the wall, and stared up at Arthur with his soft hazel eyes, lips parted, and his pink tongue poking out to moisten his dry lips.

Just watching stirred something inside of Arthur. Reaching out, he gently ran his index and middle finger along the shell of the young boy's ear, following his soft jaw, and under his chin. Arthur lifted Daegal's chin none too gently, and filled the gap between their bodies. The boy's pulse quickened beneath Arthur's fingertips, beating hard with anticipation.

Something hard was pressing up against Arthur's thigh as he looked down upon Daegal, their lips almost touching. The feathery breath was enough, smelling of the spearmint toothpaste they sold at the school.

"Arthur…" Daegal whispered breathlessly, longing so obvious in his voice.

This was Arthur's favourite part of the game. Pulling them forward, then leaving them hanging over and over again, until their breathing becomes ragged and he's hardly lifted a finger at all. When desire overtakes their senses, and they call out his name, asking, begging, pleading for something, just a touch, just a kiss.

Arthur struck with precision, kissing just beneath Daegal's jaw, feeling his pulse, his fingers left the boy's chin, and dropped to his hips, pulling them forward and grinding against them. Daegal gasped sharply, drawing his head back, and thumping solidly against the wall.

It wasn't silent to start with, the stairwell was lit with emergency fluorescent lights that gave off a vague purple glow, that buzzed in the background. It wasn't enough to drown them out though, not that Arthur cared. He wanted it to be loud.

The wet sounds of Arthur's lips against Daegal's neck filled the stairwell, along with shuddering gasps from the younger boy. Arthur's hands grabbed a hold of the v in Daegal's button up shirt, and began to pry the shirt apart. Buttons flew across the stairwell, clicking against the vinyl floor as they bounced and landed in all corners of the darkness.

Once the shirt was successfully ripped apart, Arthur pulled back, his breathing ragged, as he admired the young boy's physique. His milky white flesh glowed beneath the purple light, and the shadows made his vague abs visible. Most of all he liked the triangle of curly brown hairs that trailed from his navel down beneath the waistband of his pants.

The corner of Arthur's lip cricked upwards as he pulled forward and crushed his lips against Daegal's roughly, all teeth and tongue. Daegal's arms encircled Arthur's waist, but before he could anything, Arthur's hands found his wrists, and pinned them hard against the wall.

"Your highness," Daegal mumbled between kisses, earning himself a sharp nip from Arthur's pointed teeth.

"Don't be ridiculous. I _loathe _that nickname." Arthur growled.

"It suits you. King of the school…" Daegal said affectionately, chuckling when Arthur bit him once more. Arthur really wasn't sure if it was out of annoyance or embarrassment.

He opened his mouth to reply, when the upstairs door wrenched open, squealing on its hinges and hitting the railing hard. A bright light flashed down at them and pierced their eyes, causing the two to squint. There was the silhouette of a man behind the bright light.

"What's going on down here?" The man demanded. As Arthur's eyes adjusted, he could just make out the letters S-E-C-U across the left portion of the man's jacket. Realization dawned on Arthur, and all he could do was hold onto the freshman boy, and wet his dry lips.

"Bollocks…" Daegal whispered from behind him.

* * *

"…cafeteria. We rise at seven here and are to report to the cafeteria by seven thirty. Breakfast ends at eight o'clock sharp. If you miss it, then you'll have to wait until noon to break your fast." An elderly man named Gaius explained. They passed a set of open doors, through them Arthur could make out rows of tables, and a few people loitering inside.

Gaius was the counsellor that Arthur was assigned, an elderly man with stark white hair that hung limply by his shoulders. He had a severe look to him, though beneath his stern words Arthur could sense warmth and affection.

In spite of the uncharacteristically warm weather they were having, Gaius donned a thick knit sweater that must have been hand made by a sister, or a wife, or even a grandchild, because sweaters that ugly were not allowed to be available to the general public.

"In that package I gave you, you'll find your schedule. Righteous Path is broken up into four groups, and you are a part of Group B. This determines your times for group therapy, athletics, extra curricular, your free time, etcetera. The only time all groups are together are during meals, and church for two hours every Sunday."

In Arthur's right hand was his duffle bag that he once used for sporting equipment. It carried all of the belongings he would be living off of during his stay, as well as the rucksack strapped to his back. In his left was a yellow envelope with some sort of orientation booklet inside, undoubtedly.

None of it had sunken in yet. It was just another school that Arthur had been suckered into - or so he told himself. One glance to the walls however proved him wrong, where posters of homophobic propaganda was plastered. Silly motivational posters with words like, "STRAIGHT IS GREAT" scrawled across them, Or images of Christ on them with bible verses. The worst were the hamfisted variations of the two.

The hallways were cool, but not cold, and smelled very lightly of Lemon _Pledge_, which could easily have been used to shine the vinyl floors.

All of the people they passed were kids, ranging from twelve to seventeen it seemed. No one looked particularly happy, some of them smiled as they chatted amongst each other, mostly they looked apathetic, lost, sometimes scared. Each face must have bore a tragic story behind their eyes.

"Normally, you're given all of this information during orientation, but since you've arrived early you'll have to rely on the package provided, as well as your roommate. Ah, here he is now…"

It was bloody well stupid they were subjecting Arthur to this hellhole. Arthur was _not _gay. Occasionally, with all the stress of exams and athletics getting to him, he needed a release, which was usually found in the willing arms of Daegal Thatcher. That boy was gay. But it simply wasn't Arthur's fault that St. Mary's was an all boy's _boarding school_.

Arthur liked girls, he really, really did. If anyone looked at his internet browsing history it would be confirmed. All he watched was lesbian porn, because even one penis was far too many for Arthur. This of course, excluded all the times that Arthur had used Private Browsing mode. That was just a secret between himself and his internet service provider.

"Arthur?" Gaius's voice cut through Arthur's furious thoughts and stopped him dead in his tracks and looked around. Gaius was no longer beside him. When he peered over his shoulder, he spotted Gaius a few yards behind him, standing with a gangly boy, who looked as though he was trying not to laugh.

Arthur retraced his steps and stopped beside his counsellor.

"Merlin," Gaius glanced to the gangly boy, "This is Arthur, he's going to be taking the spare bunk in your dorm." Gaius glanced back to Arthur, "Arthur, this is Merlin. He is an excellent pupil here, and if you have any questions I'm sure he'll be happy to help."

The words settled on Arthur and a sense of dread filled him. That boy was to be his roommate? That boy, that _Mer_lin had ears like someone had left their car doors open! If he was supposed to be some gay bait to make Arthur sink to their levels it certainly wouldn't work!

Maybe some of his features were nice. His eyes for one were a pro. A grey blue, like a stormy sea. His mouth was full, and nicely shaped, and his nose seemed to just be asking for Arthur to run his finger down it. All of those features mashed together on that awkwardly large head, and small jaw just made for one strange boy…thing.

At least his hair was nice, all messed up as though he had just pulled himself out of bed.

"I don't believe he's with us, Gaius…" The awkward boy was saying quietly, his smile frozen on his face.

Gaius looked onto Arthur, "I believe you're right, Merlin." he said in a voice wrought with amusement.

"I'm listening!" Arthur snapped suddenly, feeling a warm flush sweep over him. He hadn't been listening at all.

Suddenly, Merlin thrust his hand out in front of Arthur, "I'm Merlin Emrys, your new bunkmate." he had a weird grin on his face, something mischievous, as though he knew something that Arthur didn't.

Arthur dropped his duffle bag onto the ground and took Merlin's hand in his own, surprised at the weird boy's firm grip. "Arthur Pendragon." he muttered quietly.

Merlin's hand fell limp and his mouth dropped open, "_Pendragon?_" he repeated incredulously, jaw dropping.

"Yeah. My dad is Uther Pendragon." Arthur muttered and rolled his eyes to the ceiling lights and waited for it to be over.

Before any of the questions could be answered, Gaius cut in. "Merlin is going to show you up to your room. My knees are not what they once were, and I'm not overjoyed at the thought of climbing all of those stairs." Gaius indicated to the stairwell behind them, "not to worry though, I'm leaving you in the most capable hands. I trust you'll settle in nicely"

"Thank you." Arthur said tersely, as he tried to ignore the vacant stare of the imbecile beside him.

"I shall leave you to it." Gaius said, then he strolled down the halls, leaving Merlin and Arthur alone together.

Before Arthur could grab his duffel bag, Merlin snatched it away by it's day-glow orange straps, "Allow me." He said courteously, then made a dash up the stairs. "Follow me." he called back over his shoulder.

He took my bag, Arthur thought indignantly, but he followed Merlin up the stairs in fear of being left behind. There were numbers scrawled across the yellow envelope in his hand, but he didn't want to have to decipher the meanings to find his room.

The first landing in the stairwell was nice, and when Arthur glanced around he could see no security cameras lingering, which was very strange. But there was a nice large, bare wall, and no annoying low hanging window to be paranoid about.

Merlin waited at the top of the stairs for him, and when Arthur reached the top, they continued on their way.

"All of the dorm rooms are on the second floor here - well most of them are anyways. Righteous Path has grown in popularity it would seem, and kids are taking longer to make it through the erm, program. So it's expanding, more buildings added and what not…" Merlin chattered on.

Arthur didn't deign a response. Perhaps if he remained quiet Merlin would get the hint. Why on earth would he care about the popularity of this hellhole?

"It's not so bad here, anyways. Other than your freedom being taken away. At least there aren't any, um, uniforms. And you're allowed to speak freely about most things. Some places don't let you talk for the first three days you're there. And there are counsellors in case you need help. Gaius is pretty great if you're in a pinch…"

Arthur sighed deeply, obviously silence wasn't working. "You do realize it's his job to be a homophobe." he cut in. It would be best to cut ties before Merlin thought they were friends.

"Gaius isn't a homophobe." Merlin shot back defensively, his voice took on a new edge that was very much preferable to his previous cheerful demeanour. "he's only making the best of a bad situation."

They fell silent after that, to Arthur's delight. The young Pendragon followed the gangly boy all the way to their dorm room numbered 224, and Merlin opened the door with a key bedazzled with a lambda keychain. When Merlin noticed Arthur's gaze on the keychain, he raised his index finger to his upturned mouth.

Arthur stepped into the room.

It was like any other dorm room, two beds on opposite sides of the room. A desk, two dressers, a closet, night tables, lamps, except for one thing. Dragons. There were dragons everywhere; models on every surface. Posters, postcards, framed pictures, all displayed amongst the walls and on all flat surfaces. Chinese dragons, fire breathing dragons, flying dragons, dragon eggs. Each one ranging from different cultures and colours.

"Well these have got to go." Arthur said flatly, gesturing to a particularly spiky model on his dresser. Merlin dropped Arthur's duffel bag onto his side of the room and picked up his dragon effigy protectively.

"No. They're staying." Merlin replied cheerfully, and drew himself to his full height, which was only slightly taller than Arthur. He crossed the room and placed the model down gently next to a framed picture of a mother and her three baby dragons.

"_Mer_lin," Arthur drawled in what he assumed was an authoritative voice. "You cannot expect me to live under these conditions! It's like _Game of Thrones _in here!"

Exasperated, Merlin laughed, "These are works of art. Drawn and designed by Kilgharrah himself!"

The name held no impact on Arthur, who blinked appropriately.

"Do you know how much money I spent in order to get these all signed? How many nights on eBay to collect all these figures, oh God…"

Upon closer scrutiny Arthur noticed in the corner of each image was a signature, and best wishes from the elusive, Kilgharrah. There must have been seventy images in total. It was a struggle not to start ripping them from the wall on the spot, but that probably wouldn't get him home any faster.

"You are the worst queer I have ever met! You couldn't have been a fashionable one, or one of those dark depressed ones who always wear eye make up." Arthur accused. It almost felt like a personal attack, this boy clearly was going out of his way to take Arthur out of his comfort zone.

"Worst queer?" Merlin repeated, "What kind are you, then, you prat." Merlin challenged, Arthur could see the anger rising inside of the gangly boy. It was evident in the way his fists clenched at his sides, and his voice grew louder with frustration. It was almost amusing, what could Merlin do? Arthur wrestled for God's sake, along with several other sports.

"I'm not queer." Arthur answered with haughty superiority. "Some blokes at my old school thought it would be funny to start vicious rumours. Catholic schools take that serious apparently."

Merlin rolled his eyes, "Right, they sent you here on a hunch."

"This may come as a shock to you, _Mer_lin, but your sarcasm is not appreciated here."

"Prat."

"Bloody idiot."

Both boys took sharp breaths and exhaled loudly, cleansing themselves of their frustration, followed by a moment of silence as they regarded each other from either sides of the room. Arthur folded his arms across his chest, his shoulders straight, taking on what he imagined was an intimidating pose.

"How about…" Merlin said eventually, slowly, painstakingly, "I remove the ones on your side of the room."

It was almost a victory, compromises counted as a victory if it was the opponent asking.

"Fine." Arthur nodded. "Every poster and knick knack!"

The dresser meant for Arthur had been emptied of it's previous contents, and Arthur spent a few minutes shoving his clothing into the drawers haphazardly. Top drawer was for boxers and socks. Second for shirts, third for pants, fourth was for things that didn't fit.

His brown leather jacket was hung off of the desk chair (an on-the-go fellow like Arthur needed his jacket within easy reach. For boring sod's like Merlin the closet worked just fine), and his mouth guard sat on the bureau beside a crude goblet with a dragon going around it and vicious red eyes.

Halfway through the unpacking process, Merlin departed the room, making some fuss about living in a pigsty.

The moment the door closed, Arthur dropped the football magazine he had been placing onto his night table shelf, and scurried across the room. What sort of porn would Merlin be hiding? Some sort of reptilian, playgirl sort of fan-art, perhaps?

"What kind of skeletons do you hide?" Arthur murmured as he kneeled down on the unsanitary blue carpet, and pulled out the drawers beneath Merlin's bed. It was a drawer filled with his undergarments, all black, small, and Calvin Klein. Each of his brief's were identical. His socks came in an array of colours, red, orange, blue, all balled up neatly. There were also two neckerchief's, one red, and the other blue.

As he sifted, he almost gave up when his hand came in contact with a familiar, square object. He pulled out a CD, with a burnt disc inside labelled 140706 scrawled onto it in blue marker. If only Arthur had been allowed to bring his laptop along…

After ten minutes of searching, Arthur realized he probably wouldn't find anything good on Merlin. So he put everything back where he found them and went to his side of the room. The yellow envelope sat on the bed, waiting to be read.

Arthur napped instead, turning off the lights and drowning out the muffled noises behind the door.

At midnight, Arthur woke, drowsily raising his head in a moment of disorientation. He looked up at the ceiling, where someone had used glow in the dark stars to spell out the word 'sin'. Suddenly, Arthur remembered where he was, and glanced across the room, squinting in the darkness to his roommates bed. It was empty.

Where the hell had Merlin gone to?


	2. Their First Album is Good

**A/N: Thank you all who reviewed, followed, and favourite-d my story! Please continue to support by reading and reviewing. Especially reviewing :3 I love those!  
**

**Meet Me in the Stairwell**

**Chapter Two: Their First Album is Good  
**

_"I'm seventeen and I'm crazy. My uncle says the two always go together. When people ask your age, he said, always say seventeen and insane." _

_\- Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury_

* * *

It was chilly outside of the headmaster's office. Arthur was dressed only in a thin tank top and trousers, and the air conditioning was turned up high. It must have been worse for Daegal, whose shirt was completely ruined. The buttons still lay scattered on the floor, waiting for the janitor to sweep them up in a few hours time.

The bench they sat on was growing harder and harder with each passing minute. Through the solid oak door, Arthur could hear the frantic conversation between his father, the Thatcher's, and the headmaster, and it didn't sound as though they would let up any time soon.

Daegal sat about six inches away from Arthur, and at the end of the bench sat Mr. Odin, who was engaged in a game of Bejewelled on his iPhone. The cheerful music only increased his anxiety. Arthur kept his eyes fixed on the wall across from him, staring intensely at the brushwork on the generic painting of flowers that hung on the wall. He didn't need to look to know that Daegal was shaking, causing the bench to rattle when they racked his body particularly hard.

"_Please," _Daegal had pleaded with the guard, "_They'll thrash me and kick me out_."

What sort of teacher didn't even check to see if a student was alright? Arthur thought, something should have been done. Daegal was two steps away from hyperventilation. He needed a paper bag, a proper shirt, a glass of water, something to calm him down. His fingers twitched on his lap as he listened to his heart pound in his ears, wondering if Mr. Odin could hear it.

It was unlikely that the situation could get worse, despite this Arthur couldn't bring himself to wrap his arms around the first year. _Coward_, Arthur berated himself as he glared at the orange and yellow flowers in the painting. _His life is ruined, and you won't even hold him. _

It was all so unfair.

Out of the corner of his eye, Arthur snuck a glance at Mr. Odin, and was reassured that the scarred man only cared for his phone. Without looking, Arthur placed his hand down beside Daegal's, inching it forward until their hands were touching, then slowly, he overlapped the younger boy's hand with his own and intertwined their fingers. Daegal's grip on his hand tightened automatically, his grip surprisingly strong.

Still, Arthur couldn't bring himself to look at the mess he had created. Soon Daegal would be swept away behind closed doors where Arthur wouldn't be able to reach him. What would happen then?

The doorknob to the headmaster's office turned.

* * *

The solid clunk of the lock turning woke Arthur. A quick look at the digital alarm clock told him it was two thirty in the morning. As the door was pulled open. Arthur could just make out a Merlin-esque silhouette entering the room. Merlin walked wearily into the room, then stumbled over a discarded pair of trousers.

"Bloody prat." Merlin muttered under his breath, then collapsed onto his bed. The springs sighed from the added weight. Arthur watched Merlin meticulously remove his shoes then place each neatly beside his bed.

Undressing certainly wasn't allowed in front of others, Arthur thought as Merlin unzipped his pants, and pulled them off of his long, gangly legs. The pants were tossed directly into the dirty clothes hamper, rather than onto the floor where Arthur had dumped his.

Merlin crawled beneath the covers, and made himself comfortable.

Arthur slid his eyes shut.

Eventually, both boys fell asleep.

* * *

**PROHIBITED MUSIC**

Queen

Elton John

Macklemore

Rise Against

Kesha

Tegan and Sara

Disturbed

The Who

B52's

The Pretenders

The Beastie Boys

Nirvana

Alice in Chains

Pink

Beethoven

Bach

Queens of the Stoneage

Anti-Flag

NOFX

Justin Timberlake

Christina Aguilera

Blondie

The list of banned music went on for pages and pages, although after the first 22, Arthur stopped reading and merely rolled his eyes.

"This is ridiculous." He said as he set the booklet down onto the table, and gestured towards the list. "What type of music are we allowed to listen to then, other than gospel?" Arthur asked.

"_Our Lady Peace_." Merlin replied, and chuckled as Arthur made a face, "They're not so bad. I rather like their first album."

Both boys were seated at a table shoved into the farthest corner of the cafeteria. Around a hundred other kids were seated inside, chatting quietly amongst themselves. The volume was kept low, as the staff lingered around the tables, seated at the end by the outskirts of groups, eavesdropping. Though they pretended to keep to themselves with books and smart phones. They fooled no one.

Arthur spooned vanilla yogurt into his mouth and swallowed, depressed. Not only was he stuck in the hell hole that was Righteous Path, but he would also have to do it without any music to help get him through it. There needed to be a change of subject. Arthur glanced around the table, there was no counsellor within their hearing range.

"So where did you sneak off to last night? I saw you come in. Were you a booty call?" Arthur asked, his voice just barely above a whisper, and a slow smile spreading across his face.

Merlin remained cool as he thoughtfully chewed on his cereal, much to Arthur's surprise. Slowly, the gangly boy swallowed, and Arthur watched his Adam's apple bob along his throat before he finally answered. "I don't know what you're talking about, mate. I got in at seven thirty. You were already fast asleep." Merlin shrugged his shoulders, then took a drink of water.

"I checked the clock when you came in, _Mer_lin. It clearly said it was two thirty." Arthur pointed his spoon at Merlin accusingly, his voice rising in volume.

Another shrug, "I don't know what to tell you, mate." Merlin said simply.

If Arthur pushed any further, he knew he would be the one in the wrong. Instead he spooned more vanilla yogurt into his mouth. It tasted mildly like defeat as it slid all the way down his throat.

Before Arthur could speak again, Merlin's eyes caught sight of something behind him, and a broad grin overtook his features. Arthur turned to see two beautiful girls behind him, one blonde, and the other brunette. Like a girl, Merlin raised his hand and wiggled his fingers at them in a half hearted greeting.

"Merlin," the brunette called, "I had a question about that bible verse, and I was wondering if you could look at it quickly before group." she smiled prettily at Merlin, then her eyes drifted to Arthur, who sat right in front of her. "Your friend can come too if he likes prayer."

Merlin glanced at Arthur quickly, then shook his head. "He's not my friend. And I doubt he's into that sort of thing." Merlin pressed his lips together to try and hide his smile, but it failed. He rose to his feet and picked his tray up in his hands. As he began to walk away with the two girls, he turned his head and called out, "Make sure you get to group by eight fifteen, or they'll be very cross with you."

Arthur rolled his eyes, but a lump had formed in his throat as Merlin stood up to leave. The gangly boy brushed passed Arthur casually, leaving him without a single ally in the vast cafeteria of misfits. Arthur turned his head to watch Merlin and the two girls leave the cafeteria. As they did, the blonde girl glanced over her shoulder to Arthur, a smile curving at the corner of her lips.

Not his friend, Arthur thought huffily, staring across the table at the empty space that Merlin had once occupied. Well, obviously they weren't friends _per se_, but they knew each other. And the way that Merlin had said it - so casually! Who didn't want to be Arthur's friend? He had been dubbed the Prince of his school, dubbed, 'Your Highness'. Nerds, drama freaks, jocks, and all the little oddballs worshipped the ground he walked on. Not only was Arthur cool, but he was intelligent, good looking, kind, generous, and _humble_.

Never in his life had Arthur eaten alone in a cafeteria. There were always girls that giggled and oggled him, always boys who hero worshipped and made space for him, just in case. Now he was alone. Self conscious, alone, and a loser. Envy filled him as he glanced around the room, eyes drifting from group to group, all who held a sense of belonging.

Friends were for the weak, Arthur told himself, and to make himself busy he flipped open his guidebook with a new sense of fulfillment. There were the rules of the facility, the curfews, the breakdown of the schedules. The worst were the personal rules.

_01\. Physical contact is prohibited amongst same sex clients, other than a handshake or a pat on the back/shoulder. Rubbing should _never _occur. _

No hugs. No comfort. Arthur's stomach dropped as his mind drifted back to Saint Mary's. What about those who needed it? A simple hug could do wonders for someone whose lost and alone. Physical contact is _necessary _to keep going.

_02\. There is to be no touching of one__'__s genitalia during the client__'__s stay outside of hygienic reasons. This includes rubbing oneself against other objects in bed, ie a pillow. If any activities should occur it is encouraged by roommates to inform a counsellor or supervisor _

This one caused Arthur to let out an incredulous laugh. Ridiculous. Keeping over a hundred teenagers hands away from their private parts for an entire summer was ludicrous. In a sea of encouraged tattle tales it may be difficult, but Arthur was certain he, like many others, would find a way to remedy his urges.

_12\. No sleeveless shirts allowed, including tank tops, muscle shirts, or sleeveless blouses. 65% of the body must be covered at all times while on the facility property. The only exceptions include in the doctor__'__s office, or in the washroom. No other clients may be present. _

Arthur slept without a shirt on. He would continue to sleep without a shirt on. All of the counsellors could bite him.

_13\. All undergarments are to be modest. _

_Women: Must wear full bottomed underwear or white or beige without ribbons, lace, or bows. Thongs are restricted. Bras are to be modest and worn at all times except when sleeping. No exceptions. _

_Men: Only boxers or briefs are allowed in black or white. No exceptions. _

This one was stupid. Arthur's undergarments came in a wide variety of bright colours, seeing as everything looked good on him. They came in patterns, they had lewd words and images on then. No one would be looking at his underwear. Arthur could wear a belt, he could wear the assigned trousers and shirts, and be the perfect client, or pupil, or whatever they were called. But his underwear was his underwear. No changes.

_14\. Hair must not exceed the jaw line on men. Women__'__s hair must be shoulder length or longer. Men must shave their facial hair and sideburns. Women must shave their legs, underarms, and any visible facial hair. _

_Any rule breaking can result in the following repercussions: _

_1\. Minimum of 1000 word essay on rule breaking. _

_2\. Rewriting bible verses_

_3\. One to three days of silence to reflect upon infractions. _

_4\. Isolation _

_5\. Aversion therapy_

_6\. Expulsion_

For a moment, Arthur's mind was completely blank as all the possibilities of his demise washed over him. Then he pursed his lips and shut the booklet.

Enough of that. He thought. Surely, there would be ways to tip toe around certain rules he didn't find reasonable.

* * *

Arthur was being marinated in his own sweat. Clearly, Aredian, the counsellor was taunting all of them, urging them to undo a top button of their shirts in order to reprimand them. After reading through the rules Arthur chose a dress shirt to wear, and had the sleeves rolled up to just beneath his elbows. His forearms were bare, and they peeled against the plastic chair.

There were about twenty others in the room, and Aredian, a man with a hook like nose and white blonde receding hair. His eyes were blue and bore into Arthur that was on the verge of violating. Just his gaze alone was enough to send a chill down Arthur's spine.

A young boy was talking, and as he spoke Arthur's gaze drifted to the faces of his peers. Each one bearing an expression of self loathing, pity, horror, and empathy. The story the boy told was about his roots into becoming a homosexual, although Arthur tried his best not to listen. It involved sexual abuse, and as the boy spoke his voice trembled and tears slipped down his downcast face.

It was impossible for Arthur not to connect the story the one of that certain boy that he had known so well.

Don't listen, Arthur told himself over and over again. Just pretend.

As the story ended, the group of teenagers broke out into a supportive round of applause, and Arthur joined them heartily. Merlin, the traitor, was sitting next to the boy, and he placed his hand on the boy's shoulder and said something. Arthur watched the contact with intrigue as the rules flashed through his mind. It was all in the green, then Merlin _rubbed _his shoulder in a small circle.

Idiot, Arthur thought as his eyes moved to Aredian, to see if the older man had caught that small moment. Instead, those cold blue eyes were set on him.

"Arthur," Aredian said loudly, and all eyes were immediately drawn to the centre.

Arthur's stomach sank, it was his turn to confess his sins in hopes of turning over a new leaf. The young Pendragon swallowed, though his mouth was dry, and he inhaled slowly, steadily. His resolve to not spill a single secret was fading, like rain trickling down a pane of glass. Those eyes bore into him, and the story he had come up with washed away.

I won't tell them about him. Arthur thought to himself, that man didn't deserve to know about that night.

"You're new here, how are you liking it so far?" Aredian smiled, though he smiled like a snake, and behind the kind question there was a glint of cruelty. Like Odin, Aredian certainly wasn't there to help.

"It's alright here." Arthur said, forcing a smile, he could feel the beads of sweat forming in his hairline. "My roommate is helping me settle in." Arthur glanced across the circle to where Merlin sat, their eyes made contact briefly.

Aredian nodded slowly, as if processing Arthur's derogatory response. "What lead your family to seek out care here at Righteous Path?" he asked.

There it was. The question. What had Arthur done wrong. Why did he deserve to be condemned to Hell?

"I went to a Catholic boarding school." Arthur said, causing nervous chuckles to break out across the circle, only to be silenced by a cold look by Aredian. "I played football and was well known amongst my peers. Someone who had it out for me spread rumours, and photoshopped indecent images of me." Arthur wasn't sure where the lies were coming from, but they spilled from his lips, he had to force himself to speak slowly, to keep eye contact. "They were taken to the headmaster, and I was given an ultimatum. Attend Righteous Path or be expelled."

There were whispers amongst the circle, disbelief. Arthur wanted to shrug, ask them what they wanted from him. He said nothing, keeping his face carefully placid, just like Uther might when he knew he was cornered.

Aredian stared at him, but Arthur would rather die than break his gaze off from his.

I'm telling the truth, I'm telling the truth, I'm telling the truth. Arthur kept repeating over and over again in his head, hoping it shone through his eyes, and the hook nosed man would quickly move on.

"Thank you, Arthur." Aredian said, and smiled as if to reassure.

Arthur exhaled, feeling the tension leave his shoulders as the cold stare of Aredian slipped off of him and skipped across the room to the other anxious teenagers. Arthur had to reign himself down not to look in Merlin's direction.

They kept moving along the circle, until almost everyone had spoken. Arthur spent his time listening. Sometimes, after someone spoke, others asked questions to clarify points, or to argue. Sometimes people said absolutely nothing. Arthur decided it would be safest to hang back for his first time in group therapy.

Just keep your mouth shut, give the right answers and be cured, Arthur told himself over and over again. Don't listen to their words, their tragedies of heart break as their parents abandoned them. As friends left, as they were brutalized by cold hearted peers. Give the right answers and be cured.

It changed when Aredian's eyes landed upon the last person to speak.

"Morgana," Aredian said, making the brunette's head snap to attention. Her curls bobbed gently as her eyes were torn away from the blonde and onto the counsellor. "How has your sleep improved from last week?" he asked. The way that Aredian looked at her was not the way a man should look at a young woman.

"I'm sleeping fine, thanks." Morgana responded icily and lifted her chin. Aredian frowned.

The fair, dark haired girl kept her face as still as a pretty mask, giving nothing away. Arthur watched, impressed, obviously she had practice in deflecting the older man. Then she gave herself away. Her hand, which lay over her wrist twitched, and as they moved they displayed a silver cuff around her wrist.

Before she could cover her mistake, Aredian's eyes darted down to the cuff, frown deepening as his eyebrows were drawn together. Though behind the disappointment, Arthur swore he could see a fraction of delight.

"Morgana," his voice was like ice. Arthur was no longer sweaty, a chill ran down his spine. "What is that?" he spoke softly, almost gently.

Morgana's hand encircled the cuff protectively. "It helps me sleep." she said quickly, her voice lacking the confidence it held before.

Beside her, the blonde was watching Morgana carefully, like a parent might watch over their child, waiting to see how the situation would pan out before trying to step in.

"Has Edwin approved of it?" Aredian asked.

"Gaius says I can keep it." Morgana dodged the question.

Aredian's lips pursed together, as if just hearing the name Gaius left him with a bad taste in his mouth. "Gaius is not your physician. And he's gone soft in his old age." Aredian outstretched his hand, palm facing upwards, waiting. "I'm confiscating it until you complete the program."

Morgana's eyes widened with fear, masked by livid anger. "No. Gaius is a doctor. A proper one who listens. Not like Edwin who hands out Prozac as if they were sweets." her voice shook as she spoke, her voice growing in volume.

That was the last straw, Aredian got to his feet and began to march towards Morgana.

Arthur sat in his chair, another bystander to witness the subtle cruelties at Righteous Path.

It wasn't fair, Arthur thought as he watched. Would he touch her? Grab her arm and yank the bracelet off? In spite of the fury, Morgana looked so small in comparison to him. Her eyes wide and teeth gritted, bared like a cat on the last of its nine lives.

Every day every single kid were told that they were less because of who they loved. They were dirty, they didn't deserve to be treated like "normal" kids, who could wear all the jewellery in the world if it suited them. It infuriated him just thinking about it, all of his mantras didn't mean a damn thing when he watched it happen. When he heard the stories. All of the adults wanted to cure them? Arthur wanted to cure their sickness, the disease of ignorance that said that teenagers deserved to feel lost and alone if they were a bit different.

"She should be allowed to keep it if it helps with nightmares and has been approved by Gaius." Arthur spoke up.

Aredian stopped dead in his tracks, the room fell still and silent. Arthur could feel the eyes from all over the room land on him in shock and amazement. Very slowly, Aredian turned around to face Arthur.

"This isn't a debate." Aredian said softly as he stared down at Arthur.

"But if it was," Arthur started, keeping his voice calm and civil. Just like how Uther would speak when he was caught in a tricky situation. Speak slowly, keep your voice light, watch as they grow red and you stay cool as a cucumber. "What is your excuse for permitting children to suffer? All in the name of a rule that's there to break us?"

Aredian opened his mouth to answer, then he thought better of it and closed it promptly. Rather than face Arthur directly, he turned to Morgana, "We'll discuss the matter of your bracelet later with Gaius and Edwin. Until then," his nose wrinkled as he waved his hand towards it, "keep it."

Aredian's eyes flashed back to Arthur's in an unsettling way. Arthur looked away first, hating himself as his eyes darted across the room. Uther would have held Aredian's gaze.

"Arthur," Aredian began slowly, "Since you're new here, I'll let you off easy. I expect you to write out a six hundred word essay about respect for the Chain of Command. As for you, miss Le Fay, I'd like you to write out two pages of bible verses surrounding the theme of obedience." `

Another hour of group therapy followed, though for this half Arthur remained properly chastened. Unless someone spoke directly to him he did not speak. In his head he was already composing essays to Aredian, though his theme revolved more around graphic violence and teenage rebellion.

At the end of it, Aredian left the room first, and all of the kids got to their feet and chatted amongst themselves. The tension in the room completely dissipated the moment the counsellor had left the room.

"Well that was stupid." Merlin's voice cut through Arthur's thoughts as he stretched his arms behind his head.

"Excuse me?" Arthur asked, deflated. Deep down, he was hoping that Merlin had _admired _his courage.

"You're a proper clot pole, antagonizing Aredian like that. He won't forget it." Merlin managed a sympathetic look.

"He can be as cross as he likes. I'm not about to let him harass your friend just because it makes his trousers tight."

Merlin shook his head, and grinned, unable to conceal it any longer. "Morgana picks fights with just about every counsellor and authority figure. Gaius has his work cut out for him with her. It's in your best interest to leave her be."

Arthur glanced back over his shoulder to where Morgana stood arms crossed self consciously, and to his surprise, she was looking right back at him. And was Arthur crazy, or did he see something inviting in her green eyes?


	3. Friendly Enemies

**Meet Me in the Stairwell**

**Chapter Three: Friendly Enemies**

**A/N: Sorry for the wait! I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. Also, Arthur and Morgana _are not related_ in this fanfic! **

_"You can be the moon and still be jealous of the stars."  
_

_\- Gary Allan_

* * *

There were two journals inside of the brown envelope that Gaius had given Arthur. One of them was specially made, with a yellow vinyl cover and a silhouette of a happy family embossed onto it. It read 'RIGHTEOUS PATH' in gold. The very first page of the book had a message typed out stating that every Friday the journal would be handed in to a counsellor to help with the healing process. There was a minimum of two entries a week, and occasionally there would be topics for him to write about.

The other notebook was a plain blue spiral with a message scrawled out on the inside of the cover. It was barely legible, but after close inspection, Arthur could make out the words, _use it wisely_.

Keeping a journal was never something Arthur did for pleasure. It was a bit of a _girl thing_, really. Feelings, boys, the dreary dribble of day to day life - Arthur didn't have a need to document such things. However, one of the journals was a requirement. A not so subtle way of spying on all of the 'clients'.

If Arthur were being honest (with the program, and with himself), he might write about his last night at the boarding school. He could jot down his anger, his cold sweaty palms, the fear in Daegal's eyes that mirrored his own as they were separated…

With his pen in hand, Arthur began to write about his first day at Righteous Path, and how 'scary' the entire thing was. How difficult it would be to make friends. How everyone - especially the counsellors, were really, reaaalllly nice.

It was a good place to start.

Arthur sat at the desk pressed against the wall beneath the window. The window was pulled open for the summer air, and every once in awhile a warm breeze would trickle in through the screen, and gently rustle the pages of Arthur's journal. A dragon statuette was being used as a paperweight to hold down all of Arthur's vast orientation package. As he wrote, every once in awhile he would flip through the rule book, then continue writing.

After ten minutes of writing in silence, the door suddenly swung open, causing Arthur to jump, and make a small line down the page in black pen. Peering over his shoulder, he located the source of his disruption and glared.

"_Mer_lin!" Arthur snapped, Merlin was stopped dead in his tracks, eyes wide and mouth parted, caught like a deer in headlights. Arthur was about to continue to berate his roommate, when he noticed something was clutched in his right hand. Merlin must have noticed Arthur's stare, because he carefully tucked his hand behind his back.

"Arthur." He said cheerily, and pulled a fake smile across his face. "I thought you might've checked out the intramural soccer…" Merlin began as he sidled across the room, careful to keep his right hand out of sight from the Pendragon.

Craning his neck, Arthur made a vain attempt to catch what Merlin was hiding, but came short, and settled back into the chair.

He would go for a more direct approach. "What's in your hand?" he asked, point blank.

"Boy things." Merlin replied without missing a beat.

Arthur sighed, though he couldn't help but find himself smiling a little in exasperation.

"_Mer_lin," Arthur started, speaking slowly so that the boy might understand, "if you haven't noticed, we're both boys. You can't expect me to be scared off by such an answer." Arthur drew his arms across his chest and watched Merlin's face break out into a wide grin, knowing he was caught.

"It always worked with my mum." He laughed and ran a hand through his hair sheepishly. "At home whenever she would pester me I would say that and she would give me my space." he shrugged his shoulders, his right hand came out from behind his back, but it was depressingly empty.

Freed from his burden, Merlin walked to his bed and took a seat on the edge, leaning back. The hem of his black t-shirt rode up, and revealed a creamy line of skin, and coarse dark hairs leading down into his trousers.

Arthur could feel his face grow warm as he realised what he was doing, and quickly began to speak, hoping Merlin hadn't seen. "What about your dad?" Arthur rushed out, and scratched the back of his neck, "If your mum was really curious wouldn't she just send him up?"

Merlin's eyes darted downwards, and the smile instantly faded from his face, though he tried to catch himself. He cleared his throat, "My dad died a few months ago." he said quietly.

Arthur's grin faded as well as he searched for something to say, "I'm very sorry to hear that." his voice changed, sombre and distant. The brief moment of vulnerability was heart breaking, but it was all that Arthur knew, even if it would never be enough.

Merlin reached towards his night table and picked up a dragon egg, weighing it in his palm. "it's alright." He said and forced himself to smile, "He travelled a lot. I never knew him very well." the way he rubbed his thumb affectionately over the surface of the egg said something. Guilt weighed down on Arthur for wanting to have all of the dragons removed.

Arthur found himself reaching for the chain around his neck, but stopped himself and lowered his hand back down to his lap. The wedding ring of his mother hung from the chain. His father still thought it was in her jewellery box at home. He could relate to missing a parent. He knew the desperation of wanting to know, the lonely nights…

When Merlin looked back up, he was back to his normal self, all signs of grief disappeared from his face. He set the egg down, stood up and stretched his arms out in front of himself, linking his fingers and pushing them outwards until they cracked.

"Let's go get some crisps from the vending machine." Merlin announced, and he reached his hand out towards Arthur, to help him up.

* * *

Merlin had disappeared before dinner, leaving Arthur to his own devices. Finding a source of entertainment was no problem. Arthur wandered the building, familiarizing himself with the campus. It didn't take long for him to find the intramural football game that Merlin had been talking about, taking place in the gymnasium.

Dinner was the tricky part.

At six Arthur dutifully made his way down to the cafeteria. It was a lot different. A lot of the counsellors had gone home by that time, or they chose to eat with their colleagues. The cafeteria was for the teenagers, and it was buzzing with a cacophonic ease.

Being alone didn't suit Arthur. He stood just past the end of the line up holding his tray of food, scanning the tables of people. Breakfast had been easy, he followed Merlin down and sat with him. Now he was alone.

Anxiety crept up Arthur's spine as he searched for empty spaces at tables he might be welcome at. In the back there was a table for stragglers, the off balls and misfits who struggled with social interaction. That table, however, was his last resort.

There was the table of the good looking people, well - the best of the bunch anyways. They were handsome and smiled broadly amongst each other, looking as though they simply had more fun than everyone else. Those were the people for Arthur - but how would he approach them?

Hi, my name is Arthur. I'm new, can I sit with you?

The very thought made him cringe.

"Look, it's the golden boy." A voice crooned.

Somehow, Morgana and her blonde friend had managed to sidle up beside him. The blonde's smirk grew as Arthur met her gaze, and he knew it was her who spoke. Morgana beside her looked as though she was fighting a similar smirk. Both girls were holding trays laden with food, and stood a little too close to one another.

"Be nice, Morgause." Morgana chided, then she smiled at Arthur. "We've never properly met. I'm Morgana and this is Morgause." she nodded towards her friend.

"Arthur." he said, refraining from using his last name, like he normally would. Arthur didn't bother to hide his gaze as it slipped down Morgana's svelte figure, then travelled down Morgause's appreciatively. He ignored the derisive snort.

"We were wondering if you would like to sit with us, Arthur." Morgana said.

The words he had been dreaming of hearing! Arthur snapped his eyes back to Morgana's, and smiled. "Definitely."

"Follow us, then." Morgana said, and the two girls turned in the opposite direction of the tables, and headed for the doors.

Arthur followed them outside. It was a cool, perfect summer evening. A gentle breeze swept through the air and blew the blades of grass and rustled the leaves of a chestnut tree. At the bottom of a small slope were a few picnic tables that had seen better days. The paint was chipping, and many initials were carved into the wood by amorous pairs.

Arthur took a seat opposite to the girls at the table.

"I wanted to thank you for standing up for me during group." Morgana said.

"Aredian's a snake." Morgause added. "He loves picking on Morgana." she made a face, then her features smoothed as she took a sip from her berry juice box.

"It was my pleasure." Arthur replied, like a gentleman. Then he began to set into his food, twirling long strands of spaghetti around his fork. The taste of tomatoes was almost overwhelming on the poorly garnished spaghetti. It must have come from a can. The meatballs were better - however, it may have just been because they neutralized the reminiscent flavour of ketchup.

"Was it really?" Morgana asked, her voice changed, lowering an octave. "You may have just made your life a lot more difficult."

Arthur looked up from his food for a moment, and looked between the two girls, unsure of what to say. Finally, he dabbed his mouth clean with a napkin. "Well, what's done is done. I've always been raised to do the honourable thing." he said curtly, hoping that it would change the subject.

Morgause had different plans. "Your _father _raised you to be like that?" she raised a pale eyebrow.

Arthur's jaw tightened, "Yes." he said curtly. Then he continued to eat, perhaps if he were busy it would inspire them to change the subject.

"So, why are you here?" Morgana asked.

Eating with those two was clearly a terrible idea Arthur thought as he swallowed. They were ganging up on him, this wasn't thanks. It was just bullying, and the fact that it was two girls doing it to him really, _really _hurt his male ego. They were harpies.

"As I said in group, there were malicious rumours spread about me and indecent photos. Since I'm the son a politician it was blown way out of proportion." Arthur debated walking away from the two girls and eating with the group of lonely kids. But walking away would be defeat.

"Quit lying, Arthur." Morgana said and laughed a little, "You're here for something real. It's obvious."

Count to ten, Arthur told himself. That's what those counsellors said, didn't they? Just start counting up to ten, and wait for the anger to dissipate.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

"What happened? Caught neckin' under the bleachers? Uther couldn't handle his son being a nancy?"

Something snapped inside of Arthur. All the manners he was taught, all the courtesies, and social facades went out the window. Anger surged through him, she didn't know what his life was like. She didn't even know his father, all she knew was the man on the TV. Arthur took a deep, shaking breath, preparing to unleash his passion on the petite blonde.

"Leave it alone, Morgause." Morgana said before Arthur could speak, and she glanced quickly towards Arthur worriedly. "Apologize." she instructed.

The bomb inside of the young Pendragon defused and the words fell short on his lips.

Morgause pursed her lips indecisively. Arthur exhaled, feeling some of the tension slip away with his stream of breath.

"Sorry." Morgause lied. It was enough for that moment though.

"We're just teasing you, Arthur. I really am grateful to you." Morgana said gently, and smiled as she reached across the table and put her hand on his for a moment. Then her fingertips gently dragged across his skin before she lifted her hand off of his, and it retreated to her fork.

It had hardly been a day since Arthur last touched someone, but it was so much sweeter as her eyes bore into his, knowing that it was almost certainly against the rules. Morgause simmered beside Morgana, looking as though she might say something else, a glint of evil in her brown eyes.

"Hey." Merlin's voice cut through the tension, as the awkward boy loped down the hill with a tray balanced in one hand, and a large, leather bound book in the other. Successfully, he made it to the picnic table, and set both objects down by Arthur, and took a seat. Their knees knocked as he scooted along the bench.

Arthur felt a strange mix of gratitude and annoyance as he stared at Merlin with reproach.

"I found Gaius," Merlin said cheerfully, and slid the large book towards Morgana and Morgause. "He said we should hold prayer group on Thursday, rather than tomorrow."

Both girls nodded their heads thoughtfully, and Arthur looked amongst the group.

"Is that where you're sneaking off to at night? Prayer group?" he asked.

There was a suspicious exchange of glances passed around the table before finally Morgause spoke up.

"Don't be ridiculous, Arthur. Merlin is the model client here." she dismissed, and gave a laugh coated with acid. The other two laughed as well, as if to show Arthur how silly he was. It only fuelled Arthur's curiosity further.

* * *

Both Merlin and Arthur were quiet as they walked up to the room together. Morgause's words ran through Arthur's head over and over again. He thought of his father, and the disapproval, he thought of the disgust in Uther's voice when he had heard…

"Don't listen to anything Morgause says." Merlin said kindly as they walked. "She's always got a bee in her bonnet about something. She's trying to rile you up."

How could he have known? He hadn't even been there to hear the things she said. He hadn't mentioned a damn thing about that blonde harpy.

"My father isn't a bad man…" Arthur began slowly, "he's just…old fashioned." that was a polite word for being completely and utterly ignorant and closed minded, wasn't it?

"He's done some good things - with minimum wage and all." Merlin supplied eagerly. "I don't hate him."

For some reason, just hearing that eased the knots in Arthur's stomach, and eased the tension in his shoulders. Arthur looked appreciatively at Merlin, for a brief moment even admiring the ridiculous way his ears stuck out.

* * *

All of their eyes made Arthur want to fidget in his seat. For the third time, he repositioned himself on the fold up chair and cleared his throat. He felt warm, and could feel a vague hint of perspiration creeping along the back of his neck. There was no need to look up to feel Morgauses' haughty grin that curled at her lips, or to see Morgana waiting patiently and Merlin eager to learn.

"There was one incident…" Arthur began slowly, and he stared down at the floor. A lot of the kids stared down at the floor while they spoke, it was affirmation to nothing. "where a boy was being bullied. I stood up for the boy, and the bullies dispersed," _then I held him, and kissed him, and swore not to leave him__…__"_and when he went to thank me, he tried to force himself on me." a sour taste entered Arthur's mouth, but he pressed on, "someone must have saw and reported it."

When they realized he was finished speaking, the mandatory round of applause went off around the circle. Half hearted attempts at sounding supportive. Even Aredian clapped, although he kept his intense gaze on Arthur.

"Any questions for Arthur?" Aredian asked.

Morgause leapt to the opportunity to shine, "Do you really expect us to believe that story?" she asked simply, looking very pleased with herself. She ignored the look that Morgana was giving her.

Arthur forced himself to look at her, "It's the truth." Arthur shrugged.

"That someone could force themselves upon _you_." She lifted a pale eyebrow in disbelief and gestured towards Arthur's impressive figure.

Arthur thought about Daegal, who was wiry and weighed practically nothing. The first year who couldn't hurt a fly. "Well he caught me off guard." Arthur clarified. "I certainly didn't welcome him throwing himself at me."

A light bulb flickered in Morgause's eyes, but before she could speak, Aredian nodded his head.

"Thank you Arthur," he said stiffly, "perhaps the rest of the story will come out another day." he added, and for the first time, Morgause and Aredian both looked acutely pleased with one another. Sometimes enemies could join together for the greater evil.

* * *

That evening was a perfect time to start running. Normally there was music, but this time Arthur's only soundtrack as he raced around the track were his pounding footsteps and the sound of his breath. Running in sweatpants was far worse than in shorts. He pressed on anyways along the gravel track.

Arthur's lungs felt as though they might collapse, he ignored the growing pain in his side as he continued to force one leg in front of the other. His bangs were plastered against his forehead from the sweat that dripped from his hairline and down his face.

Everything had faded, all of his anger and anxiety. The world melted away as he felt the burn of exercise. Just one foot in front of the other, that was all he would have to worry about.

Then someone pulled up beside him, he could hear her offbeat footsteps slow until they matched his pace. When he looked, he saw the pale beauty that only could lead to trouble. Ignore her, Arthur told himself, let her follow, don't listen to her speak. He wasn't ready to leave the calm he had spent the past forty five minutes building.

"You're going about this all wrong." Morgana informed him in between breaths.

Arthur couldn't help but look at her, the same haughty look that Morgause wore was in the corner of her mouth and something he didn't know twinkled right by her pupil. Arthur slowed his pace to a light jog.

"Oh? And I suppose you can tell me how to achieve freedom?" He asked, then gasped for air, he hadn't realized how tired he really was.

"Of course I can." She said, and flashed him a beaming smile. It was full of evil, Arthur could sense it, though between her and Morgause, Morgana certainly was the lesser of two evils. "but everything comes at a price."

"What price is that?"

Her laugh was nice, it tinkled, and Arthur found himself grinning at her. "The truth is the truth." He shrugged his shoulders, "now are you going to tell me what I need to do."

Morgana gave him a stern look, though unable to conceal her smile. "You need to admit that you're gay." she told him. "It's like being in prison and saying you're innocent, yeah? No one believes you. Just admit you're gay, and start working through the steps. Participate in group, and use your journal." she looked rather pleased with herself and her vast knowledge.

"Why are you here, Morgana?" Arthur asked.

Morgana's smile went crashing to the ground, and it was a bit of an improvement, though she tried to reclaim her smug look, it faltered. "The same reason as you, I'd reckon. I messed up and got caught." she rubbed her arms as if she was cold, she needed contact.

The mask slipped, she wasn't the arrogant little girl, she wasn't the pretty doll beside Morgause. She was Morgana, broken and tragic just like the rest of them.

"I want to know why you're here." she looked at him, her teeth resting on her lower lip, grinning. She must have thought she was clever, that she had him exactly where she wanted him.

Arthur stopped jogging, took a few steps, then stopped completely in his tracks. When he faced her directly she was still grinning. Did he want her information? Was it actually worth anything, or was she simply playing with him, just a trick to find out what makes Arthur Pendragon tick? Either way, Merlin would definitely know how to progress through the program, even if Morgana didn't want to tell him.

"I'll tell you." Arthur said quietly, and her eyes bulged a little with anticipation. He walked towards her, so that they were close, their bodies almost touching when he stopped and slowly bent over towards her ear, mouth just barely grazing the shell. He could feel her heat, the slight feeling of her breasts brushing lightly over his chest as he took her forearms in his hands gently and whispered, "A boy kissed me, my team mate saw, rumours were spread."

Morgana pulled away from him and glared half-heartedly, though she laughed a little bit, "you ass. I thought you were actually going to tell me."

"Come here." Arthur said softly, and watched her eyebrows furrow in confusion. So Arthur went to her and wrapped his arms around her, sweaty, warm, probably smelly in spite of the deodorant he wore. As he held her he felt absolutely nothing, it was just contact, just something to make it all a little bit easier.

Then, as he began to pull away, she kissed him. Pressing her pink, chapped lips up against his. She tasted salty from sweat, maybe tears. Arthur kept his eyes open, staring at her black lashes.


	4. Take Me to Church

"_It's not denial. I'm just selective about the reality I accept." _

_\- Bill Watterson, Calvin and Hobbes_

* * *

There were dozens of votive candles lit amongst the candle rack beneath the Virgin Mary, and the one that Arthur lit was no different. Arthur held a long, slim stick against the flame of a candle, once the flame had transferred he lit his own candle. Each was held in a red glass holder, and in the dim light of the chapel it was beautiful.

The one memory Arthur had of his mother was her taking his pudgy little hand and guiding him to the candles in the church, and lighting one for someone who had passed on. Her face was blurred in his memory, he couldn't even remember the sound of her voice. But he clearly remembered walking towards the rack with eager, tottering footsteps.

Arthur walked back to the pews where he could see Morgana watching him, and beside her, Morgause was pouting, chewing on the inside of her cheek with her arms crossed over her chest. Merlin took a seat beside Arthur, chatting quietly with a few boys that Arthur didn't recognize.

At church, dresses and skirts down to the knees were mandatory for girls. Dress pants and dress shoes required for boys with a polo or button up shirt.

There was no air conditioning in the chapel. Their options were either freezing or melting at Righteous Path. They never did anything in moderation. It was either all of the heat, or none of it. It was sad that after only a few days Arthur was getting used to the Spartan conditions.

The service began. The pastor took his place at the alter and began to speak. After many long years at Catholic school, Arthur became the master of simply letting the words roll off of him and zone out. Stare at the stained glass windows behind the service and admire the colours clashing against the boring beige walls. Frequent games of footsie were also always welcome, although the stakes may be higher at Righteous Path.

Arthur's thoughts drifted, the heat, the words of the pastor, the sound of the pews creaking as people shifted their weight all faded. God, Heaven, religion - Arthur was ambivalent about all of those things. It was the familiarity of church, however, that brought Arthur more peace than he could ever express.

A touch brought him back, grounded him. The feeling of a hand brushing up against his pinkie. Arthur inhaled and glanced towards Merlin beside him, but the strange boy's hands were in his lap. Merlin looked back at Arthur with vague curiosity. For a split second, Arthur thought he saw gold flecked in the blue of Merlin's eyes.

The rubbing persisted, once more grounding Arthur. Quickly realizing his error, Arthur snapped his attention to Morgana. The corner of her lip was raised, her white teeth just visible in the parting of her pink lips. Just behind Morgana, out of the corner of his eye he could see Morgause staring. He could feel a prickling sensation on the back of his neck, someone else must have been watching.

Arthur took Morgana's hand in his, but he didn't entwine their fingers. Her hand was like ice in his, but it fit nicely anyways. She's beautiful. Arthur thought, and snuck a side long glance. Her eyes are beautiful and they're green. In fact, Arthur wasn't sure he's ever seen anyone quite so beautiful as Morgana.

As the service ended everyone rose to their feet and slowly began to shuffle out of the chapel. Outside it was foggy, and a slight chill was in the air. Everyone stretched, two hours was far too long to be sitting in church.

It was lunch time, and the crowd of people all slowly gravitated towards the cafeteria, Arthur amongst them. He walked alone, with his eyes on the grass beneath his feet. He was unsure of why he had gotten out of the chapel as fast as he could, but the moment they were allowed to leave Arthur released Morgana's hand and began to walk as fast as he could without actually running.

She's beautiful, Arthur told himself. She's very beautiful.

"Hey!"

Arthur turned in the direction of the voice, and saw Morgause walking straight towards him, her face was an expressionless mask, though her mouth was set in a tight line. She stopped just a foot away from Arthur and stared up at him with such animosity he had to take a step back.

"I don't know what you're doing, but you play your little straight game somewhere else, and leave Morgana alone." she said, voice controlled, but the hostility beneath her words were as sharp as a dagger. Then, with a chilling smile, she brushed past him.

* * *

Gaius's office had certificates lining the walls, seeming to stretch from his undergraduate's degree all the way to two impressive doctorates. One for psychiatry, and the other as a medical doctor. Also, there was a poster of Fleetwood Mac, and a portrait of a woman that must have been his wife.

Arthur sat in a lounge chair opposite to Gaius, with a desk separating them. Along the edge was a figure of a dragon, and a colourful assortment of snow globes from the places he must have travelled. All in all, Gaius seemed like a well seasoned old man with countless stories to tell. Although the way he looked at Arthur made the young Pendragon want to scream in an act of defiance.

"So," Arthur said slowly as he pressed his fingers into the plush armrests of the chair, "you're telling me that not only do I have to be told every day that I'm a terrible piece of scum that's going to hell, but I also am assigned a _job_?"

Pendragon's don't do labour. That is an unspoken rule. Never in Arthur's life had he worked a part time job, he didn't bring out the trash, he didn't vacuum. At most he did the dishes and occasionally he would submit to cleaning his room. Maybe. Generally, someone else was hired for such hardships, and Arthur would spend his time doing productive things.

Gaius appraised Arthur and raised a severe eyebrow. "Arthur." He said gravely, "Our staff here has maybe twenty five people, including counsellors, the grounds keepers, security, and janitors. There is no option, you must do your part to keep the facility running."

Arthur sucked in a sharp breath and looked out the window. "Where am I, then?" He asked, defeated. He didn't want to look back at Gaius, in fear of being subjected to the eyebrow any further.

"Laundry." Gaius intoned dryly. "They will bring you their laundry, you will clean it. If you find any paraphernalia you are to report it. Every hamper is numbered, so we will know exactly whose it is belonging to."

"Great." Arthur muttered under his breath, crossing his arms over his chest.

* * *

The door to the janitorial closet was ajar. Something caught Arthur's eye - a flash of gold, a hiccup, the creak of the door slowly being pushed. Something caught his eye, and he slowed to a halt as peered through the crack.

His mouth fell open, his train of thought completely derailed, he couldn't help but stare.

Morgause was on her knees.

Morgause was on her knees in front of a man.

Morgause was on her knees sucking on the unmentionables of a man with the zipper of his trousers undone. Her eyes were open and dead as they stared into space. The man's head was tilted backwards, his mouth open wantonly and his eyes closed in bliss.

Without saying a thing, Arthur continued down the hall.

* * *

Of course, Arthur thought as he looked at the grinning face of his "boss" with dread. Here he thought, well, at least he would be able to meet some more people. That, of course was a ludicrous notion.

"I'm just destined to be constantly irritated by you, aren't I?" Arthur asked with a resigned sigh, and ran his hand back through his hair.

"Don't worry, you clot pole. We rotate, you'll only be working with me for a fraction of the time. We're grouped together a lot because we're roommates. But we're not stuck together." Merlin shrugged his shoulders, then motioned for Arthur to follow, "I'll show you about."

Laundry was simple enough. There were six washing machines, and six dryers. The washing machines all vibrated and hummed as they moved, the sound of water and suds evident in the squelching of the clothes. The dryers were silent, save for when a coin fell loose and rattled inside of the machine.

The fluorescent lights were unflattering, the noises were annoying, but with the CD player on, and Stevie Nicks' sweet voice singing it wasn't so bad.

Except for sock duty. That was awful. God awful. There were long white fold up tables used as surfaces to fold the clothing on. The assorted piles of people's socks were enough to set Arthur's teeth on edge. Black socks all looked the same - but no. They were different. Different lengths, different heights. Some were ankle socks, some stretched to the knees. The sheer amount of possibilities for socks was ridiculous.

Each pair slowly became a thing of resentment as the minutes passed on. They were _stupid_. There should be one sock size, so that there wouldn't be all the sorting and debating. And some of the socks weren't even black! They were grey, and the odd white pair.

"Alright." Arthur announced after he finished folding the entirety of another person's sock collection, "I've folded enough socks to last me a life time. Switch with me." he demanded.

Merlin calmly glanced up from the pair of slacks he was folding, the barest hints of a smile creeping onto his face, "I'm afraid this is advanced folding. You're still a beginner - I mean look at that, your technique is all wrong." Merlin nodded towards the current pile of folded socks Arthur had arranged into a makeshift mountain.

"They're _socks_, Merlin." Arthur deadpanned. "You don't need technique. You turn them into little balls and you move on. I'm perfectly capable of folding a shirt."

It didn't matter what Arthur said though, Merlin was still tutting and shaking his head, as though Arthur had committed a great misdeed.

"I'll show you." Arthur announced, and he strode to the adjacent table Merlin was situated at. Arthur scanned over the shirts, and eventually selected a plain t-shirt with a slight v-neck. He then proceeded to fold it until it was a fairly neat square and gestured towards it, feeling rather pleased with himself.

"Sloppy." Merlin informed him, then he selected his own shirt to fold. It wasn't much better, maybe the edges were more precise, but a rectangle was a rectangle. "_That's _a proper folded shirt." Merlin informed him.

Arthur glanced between the two shirts in a moment of silence, before he picked up the shirt that Merlin had just folded between two fingers, and dropped it onto the floor. He savoured the momentary look of shock on Merlin's face as his precious shirt lay on the ground. The precise, precious folds were ruined.

"You were a bit of a spoiled brat when you were a kid, weren't you?" Merlin asked as he casually hooked his thumbs into his belt loops, and walked over to the sock folding table. With great gusto, Merlin lowered his arm to the table, and swept all of the balls of socks off of it and onto the floor. The balls of socks went shooting and tumbling off of the table, and onto the white vinyl floor. Some flying to the outskirts of the room, others falling to the ground in haphazard little piles.

There was a moment of shock, much like the one he had subjected Merlin to just seconds ago - but this was far worse. Arthur had dropped a shirt. Not over a hundred bloody black socks!

"_Me_rlin…" Arthur said slowly as he collected himself. His fingers were twitching.

"You had better pick those up…before someone comes in to check on us…" Merlin said casually, and gestured to the socks, he was holding back laughter, and his mouth was stretched across his face in a toothy grin.

"If we were at my school I would have my mates pin you down as I shoved the socks down your throat." Arthur tried to look serious, but he couldn't help but smile back, matching the boy with the ridiculous ears. In spite of his nature, Arthur bent down and began to pick up the socks.

"But we're not at your school, are we?"

"They called me Your Highness." Arthur informed him, as if Merlin hadn't spoken at all. "I was the King of the school." The mountain on the table grew taller and taller. "Because I'm handsome and my ears don't stick out."

Arthur glanced up from his work to see Merlin's face change to one of shock and irritation.

"At least I don't need braces, you vampire."

Their laughter and yelling could be heard from outside of the laundry room, as the two boys pelted one another with balled up socks.

* * *

Everything about Merlin was annoying. Especially the way that he was so calm when he was put on the spot. Everyone else grew tense when it was their turn to speak in group, but Merlin sat back casually, expressing himself without any indication of shame or agitation.

"…my father travelled a lot, and I didn't really have a male figure around to show me the way. My mom raised me, and I must have gotten confused about gender roles while I was going through puberty."

The mandatory applause followed, and Merlin smiled politely as he looked around the room. When Aredian wasn't looking his eyes locked with Morgause's for a split second, and he smiled at her, cunning and devious.

The applause died down, and suddenly all eyes were back on Arthur. Like all other mortals in the room, Arthur could feel his nerves drawn forward as Aredian turned towards him.

"Very good, Merlin," Aredian said, "Arthur, have you perhaps remembered anything significant from your past?" he raised an eyebrow, and an amused smirk was on his face.

Arthur inhaled sharply, and looked at a black mark on the floor. If Morgana was right, then he should tell them, confess his sins. Tell them that he fucked Daegal hard, that he held the tiny boy in his arms after he climaxed, kissed his forehead and promised to keep him safe. Tell them that he protected the boy from bullies, but not from the school system, and certainly couldn't from his parents. That his feelings for the small boy were intense and all encompassing.

The silence in the room was deafening as he looked around at his peers. If he confessed then it would be out there, and he would never be able to take it back. Or maybe, it would take him out of this limbo state. Maybe it would get him out faster.

"I don't see myself as being gay…" Arthur said slowly, his voice sounding a little strange to his own ears. He never had called himself that, not once. "I just did whatever felt right. I went to an all boy's boarding school."

His face was flaming, as he stared hard at the floor, never daring to look upwards and catch a glimpse of what the others might be thinking. "There was a lot of pressure, and I needed…" Arthur's voice lost more and more confidence with each word, "release." he almost whispered it, but in the deathly silent room everyone heard. He may as well had yelled it. He could feel his pulse in his fingertips, his earlobes burning, and shame covering him like a blanket.

A pause, then the applause. Arthur's turn had successfully ended, and when he looked up he could see people glancing at each other across the room, uttered words being exchanged beneath the noise, and Aredian's smug face from the success of finally breaking him.

* * *

Arthur sat at the desk, chewing on a pen he had found in a dragon mug. It wrote in green. Aredian, the snake had given him homework, Morgana had been wrong. Now that he had confessed his sins he had been assigned homework for his journal entry.

With a frustrated sigh, Arthur glanced at the clock, then back to the empty bed of his roommate. It wasn't fair, Arthur should have been out late. He should have been at the nearest pub, and Merlin, that imbecile should have been stuck in the dorm, staring at the clock and doing homework.

_Write about your history with your father and history with your lover. Draw connections between your feelings of both of them. _

He sneered down at the paper. What a ridiculous notion. Arthur was to write, then share it within the next week.

"Hi, my name is Arthur, my father is a cold, cruel man who gave me everything I wanted. My fuck buddy was kind, compassionate, and let me ravage his bum twice a week on average." Arthur muttered, petulant. "When I was little my dad never hugged me. When I kissed my fuck buddy he would be noises like he was drinking soup, and that made me so hard I would think about it before I came…"

The door pushed open, and Merlin stepped through. This time however, he wasn't holding anything in his hands. Arthur shut his mouth firmly, feeling his ears heat up and prayed swiftly and silently that Merlin was none the wiser to Arthur's monologue.

"Good morning." Arthur said in a voice he hoped was casual. He spun around in the chair, and eyed the slighter boy, "been getting into trouble, have we?" Arthur cocked his head to the side and drummed his fingers on the desk in a vain attempt to make Merlin nervous.

"Prayer group." Merlin said, shrugging his shoulders, "sometimes, we end a little late." he walked over to his bed and meticulously began to remove his shoes, then placed them at the foot of his bed. "That was a rather touching speech you gave tonight at group, might I say."

If the grin could only go away, Arthur may have been able to ignore him.

"Speak for yourself." he grumbled, and spun back around on the chair to further glare at the notebook.

Silence fell between them, and Arthur could hear every tick of the clock sitting on his night table. Twenty four seconds ticked by, before he spoke again.

"Do you believe what you said?" Arthur asked.

"I'm not gay because my dad wasn't around." Merlin shrugged, "I'm gay because that's how I've always been. It's not something that I chose."

Arthur glanced back at Merlin, but it was a mistake. Merlin stood almost completely naked, save for the boxer briefs that hugged his bottom in a way that wasn't not aesthetically pleasing. There was no shame in him, not for his skinny body or his stupidly pale skin.

"For God's sake, Merlin! I'm right here." Arthur snapped as he turned away, embarrassed.

"You're gay and went to an all boy's boarding school." Merlin stated, "I should think you know what the male anatomy looks like."

"Isn't this against the rules?"

"Oh definitely."

"Then why are you doing it?"

"Because I'm not going into the loo to put on a t-shirt and pyjama pants."

Arthur stood up and faced Merlin, his eyes staying comfortably above the collarbone.

"Well what if I started stripping? Would you be comfortable" he asked, his voice lowering to just above a whisper.

Merlin smiled and chuckled, "you're more than welcome to." he made a grandiose gesture towards Arthur and waited.

This was where the boys were separated from the men. Obviously, everyone was asleep. They were like the only two who were awake at such an ungodly hour, but still Arthur felt his nerves prickling towards the surface.

He reached for the hem of his shirt, then lifted it over his head, taking a deep breath. They wouldn't be, but if they were caught…

He tossed his shirt onto the floor. All of Merlin's clothes had been tossed into the hamper. His shirt was off, and although the Emrys boy may not admit it, Arthur felt a bit of his old spark back as he watched Merlin's eyes drift to his chest in a moment of weakness. It gave him the confidence to hook his fingers into the elastic waistband of his pyjama pants.

"Well, what're you waiting for?" Merlin remarked, standing in his underwear. Goosebumps were forming on his pale skin, the breeze from the open window chilled the room effectively. Arthur could feel it on his back, but he was too nervous and sweaty to become cold.

Slowly he pulled them down, letting the pants slip down his thighs, and pooling onto the ground beneath his feet.

A strict rule of the young Pendragon was to never slept with any of his undergarments on. It was restrictive and unnatural. Also, Arthur was proud of the greatest Pendragon heirloom, and he enjoyed nothing more than making sure the world knew just where his talents lied.

Merlin was genuinely shocked as his gaze dropped, then rose, and dropped again. His face turned pink as he spun around awkwardly. Finally triumph over the weird boy. To gloat, Arthur remained where he stood, hands on his hips.

"Alright, alright. You win." Merlin cried out, and held out his hand to cover Arthur's family jewels from sight as he looked back, "now pull up your pants."

* * *

Arthur lay awake as the 4:00 am mark hit and passed. Across the room, Merlin was snoring gently, and through the darkness Arthur could see the pale skin of his chest poking out from the blankets.

For the past three hours, Arthur thought about their encounter just before bed. He thought of the skinny frame that held up the awkwardly large head with the ears, and could feel something spring to life. Flat on his back, Arthur stared up at the ceiling, at the word sin scrawled out in the stars as he slid his hand from his chest to his groin.

It was a sin to touch himself.

It was a sin to like another man.

It was a sin to watch him strip, to fantasize about what could have happened.

With heavy breathing and a soft grunt he climaxed, his seed covering his hand as well as his bare stomach and chest. That too was a sin of course, and as the stress left him from the relief, shame took it's place, and he stared back up at the word sin on the ceiling.

Arthur cleaned up, and he finally was able to fall asleep.

* * *

The previous night hung onto him, and so did the ever pressing disgrace of having done it. In the morning shower he had properly cleaned himself, scrubbing until his skin had turned pink, but it didn't wash away the feeling.

This had never happened before in Arthur's life. He didn't do shame. He was a Pendragon, he was proud of what he was - or at least he thought he was.

Desperate times called for desperate measures, and in the court yard, as he ate his breakfast he began to fill out a form he had picked up from the office. They gave it to him, although he didn't appreciate the look of disbelief on the secretary's face after he asked.

Something soft and warm pressed against Arthur's shoulder, and black hair fell loose into his peripheral vision. Behind him, Morgana peered over his shoulder and at the form he was filling out.

"You're just assuming I'll go out with you?" she asked, feigning annoyance, but she sat down at the table across from him and her eyes began skimming the form. She tapped her fingernail against a space he had left empty.

"My last name is LeFay."

"I don't hear you rejecting my invitation out of this hell hole." Arthur muttered, but he wrote down her last name anyways.

"My number here is 602241." She tapped at another blank space. "And don't be arrogant. I'm only doing this because you're rich enough, and attractive enough to get me out of here."

"So you don't like me?" Arthur asked, his confidence wasn't at all shattered, "Do you kiss all the boys you don't like?" he inquired.

Morgana's cheeks flushed to a charming pink, and she looked away, anywhere but at him.

"Merlin is right, you are a prat." Morgana said, glaring half heartedly at him. Arthur knew he caught her, and he laughed, watching the angry slide in a moment of incredulity. "What are you laughing at?" she huffed.

"You're really beautiful when you're angry." was all Arthur had to say to make her cheeks flush deeper, and her gaze avert from his, unable to find the words. "And if you think I'm beautiful too, you can say so." he added.

The banter eased the weight off of Arthur's shoulder. He didn't have to think when this happened, everything slid into place, and as they spoke he was able to pretend.

* * *

Gaius gave him the eyebrow as he looked down at the request form, then back up at Arthur. It gave Arthur the strongest urge to stare down at his feet and fidget like a caught school boy. He held Gaius's stare and hoped that the old man wouldn't see through him.

"You're asking permission to take Morgana out on a date?" he asked, and slid the sheet of paper onto his desk. He reached for a mug of tea, and took a long sip.

Whatever Arthur had imagined for this meeting, this wasn't it. He thought there would be smiles, a pat on the back ("good for you, m'boy."), and perhaps the offer of some tea. Instead he could feel the sweat under his arms, and a prayer in his head not to be seen through.

"It would appear as though we've become rather fond of each other since I arrived." Arthur said stiffly.

Much to Arthur's relief, Gaius's gaze slipped off of Arthur and it returned once more to the permission form. He was silent for far too long, the cogs in his brain were turning. Merlin was one of Gaius's little ducks, and it wouldn't have surprised Arthur if Morgana was affiliated as well.

"Before you can get permission you both shall be subjected to an interview. If this is a ploy, there are few who succeed." Gaius gave Arthur another severe look, causing his pulse to spike.

Arthur licked his lips, "That's fine. I'm sure you'll be pleased with both of our answers." Arthur replied.

"Very well. You may go." Gaius gestured towards the door.

Arthur stood up from the chair almost too quickly, and walked steadily to the door, feeling a mixture of worry, excitement, and complete contempt for the program.


End file.
